Chapter 70
“All right, then. Shall we hear everyone’s thoughts on the revised script for Timeless? Who would like to go first?”
After glancing around for a moment, Oh Sang-min spoke first.
“Well, the script certainly seems better than before... The sci-fi elements we were worried about have also been toned down considerably... At this level, I think it could be produced with a budget around one to one-and-a-half billion won higher than the average production cost... Ahem...”
Oh Sang-min kept dragging out the ends of his sentences, like someone who wanted to find fault with it but couldn’t find anything worth criticizing.
“I felt the same way. The fantasy elements have become stronger now that the sci-fi aspects have been reduced... But it still isn’t strong enough to put off viewers who think fantasy movies are only for children. I think it’s a story that could appeal to a wide range of age groups without causing too much division in opinion.”
Joo Han-young’s evaluation was more generous than I had expected, and a sigh of relief escaped me without my realizing it.
“Good. So both of you think the script has become much better than before. Is that right?”
Instead of answering, the two of them nodded.
Kim Eun-gyeong looked over the proposal for a moment before turning her attention back to me.
“But Song Jae-hyeon is listed as the proposed director. Have you already discussed this with Director Song?”
“Yes. For now, I’ve shared both the original script and the revised version with him.”
After hearing my answer, Kim Eun-gyeong fell silent as if lost in thought.
Taking advantage of the opening, Oh Sang-min cut in.
“Even if he’s only being proposed, isn’t Director Song Jae-hyeon too weak a choice?”
Oh Sang-min explained that although Song Jae-hyeon had directed a feature-length movie, it was only one independent film. He was still practically a rookie director.
He added that bringing in a director with better name recognition would make it easier to cast actors and attract investment later.
Just wait and see. Within the next few months, none of you will be able to call Director Song Jae-hyeon a rookie who has only made one independent film.
That was what I thought, but I answered calmly on the outside.
“That may be true. However, I proposed Director Song Jae-hyeon because I believe he can genuinely direct this story well, not simply because of his name value.”
“All right, let’s end that discussion here for now. There’s no point arguing about it among ourselves anyway.”
At Team Leader Kim Eun-gyeong’s quiet but firm words, we all closed our mouths.
“Right now, shouldn’t our first priority be deciding whether Timeless is good enough to advance to the final pitching session?”
At Kim Eun-gyeong’s question, Oh Sang-min and Joo Han-young merely watched each other, delaying their answers.
“Judging from your reactions... may I take that to mean you both agree that Timeless can advance to the final pitching session?”
Instead of responding aloud, the two nodded with indifferent expressions.
“Good. Then Timeless will be presented at the final pitching session. Everyone worked hard preparing for this meeting.”
We did it!
I cheered inwardly.
However, my joy at making it to the final pitching session didn’t last long. As I watched Kim Eun-gyeong leave the conference room, a question suddenly entered my mind.
Does Team Leader Kim Eun-gyeong really like this project? Is that why she’s allowing it to advance to the final pitching session?
Come to think of it, Team Leader Kim Eun-gyeong had never shared her personal opinions with us.
At first, I had thought she was a sly superior who conveniently picked and chose from the projects we had worked so hard to select.
But during last year’s final pitching session, I discovered that she had clear plans for the projects we selected.
From that point onward, I believed she trusted our choices and supported us.
I had even admired her inwardly, thinking that this was what true leadership looked like.
But now...
I suddenly found myself wondering what Kim Eun-gyeong truly thought.
Time passed, and the day of the final pitching session arrived.
In the meantime, Family Scandal finished filming and entered post-production, while The Probability of Snow on Christmas successfully completed its press screening ahead of the Christmas season.
I arrived at the empty conference room early to prepare everything for the final pitching session.
At that moment, Team Leader Kim Eun-gyeong entered the room and checked the beam projector connected to the laptop.
“Gibaek, why isn’t the screen coming up?”
When the laptop display failed to appear through the projector, Kim Eun-gyeong asked me about it.
“Team Leader, please leave it alone. I’ll take care of it.”
“No, it’s fine. I don’t have anything else to do right now anyway.”
I quickly checked the cable connecting the laptop to the projector.
As expected, it had come loose.
Once the laptop screen appeared through the projector, Kim Eun-gyeong opened the presentation and began checking each slide.
I quietly watched her.
This was probably the first time Kim Eun-gyeong and I had ever been alone in the same room.
“Um, Team Leader...”
“Yes, go ahead.”
Kim Eun-gyeong spoke without taking her eyes off the projector screen in front of her.
“I...”
When I hesitated again, she finally turned to me with a questioning look.
“What is it? Is there something you want to say?”
“Well, actually... there’s something I’ve wanted to ask you for a while.”
At the words for a while, curiosity appeared in Kim Eun-gyeong’s eyes.
I hesitated yet again before finally deciding to just say it.
“I don’t know how this might sound, but I’d like to hear your personal evaluation of the revised version of Timeless.”
